Chase Creek Smokehouse — Restaurant in Chase Township

My brother in law stumbled on this about a week before we came, when he was able to break away from band camp. He raved about it so long that we decided to try it out. If you're from the city, this restaurant is truly in the middle of nowhere because there are fewer houses in this town than on a city block. Google maps took us right to the restaurant. There were a lot of cars & utvs in the lot and the wait was a half hour. Of course, we waited! We looked at the menu while we were waiting but still ended up ordering an appetizer. The beef and bean dip was good. I got the chicken quesadilla. They cut it up and made it all pretty on the plate, but that had to be a big as a platter! They do state on the menu that their burrito shells are specially made because they are so large. Once you see them, you'll believe it! The quesadilla was good, and because it was so big, I had leftovers for days!! Hubbs got a burrito, and this was swimming in red sauce. The servers were dressed as cowgirls. Some embraced it more than others, and it was a great touch! That made it feel so much more authentic, especially in Northern Michigan. There was a lot of seating, but all of it wasn't being utilized. If they could have utilized all the tables, the wait would have been much shorter, and they wouldn't sell as much beer while people wait for a table. (I'm not saying beer is a bad thing there) If I had to bet, seating was sparse from lack of employees. There was indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for indoors because it was a touch chilly, and it looked like a chance of rain. But there were large umbrellas on the patio so that when it did rain, maybe diners wouldn't get wet. The bar was busy. This would be a great place to have a live band and dance. They could clear the tables that aren't being used and use half of the indoor seating as a dance floor. The last thing I want to note is the ENORMOUS fan in the dining area. The lights actually dim when this thing kicks in, but the enormity of it will...

Chase creek was a fun time, we traveled from Howard city ( around 40 minutes ) to check out chase creek. Beautiful outdoor area with activities, outdoor bar and stage. Unfortunately nothing was going on that night, the inside is somewhat small so there was around a 30 minute wait, we didn’t mind as we sat outside and had a beer.

We came with our 8 month old daughter, all the servers were very friendly with her and set us up with a high chair.

I eat a large amount of BBQ and have had it all over the country, it’s one of my favorite foods and I consider myself pretty diverse when it comes to it. That being said the food was mostly great.

Brisket was one of the better I’ve had in the area in terms of tenderness and flavor, seems to be a pretty basic rub possibly just a Texas style SPG.

The BBQ chicken was fantastic, extremely tender and the sauce/ rub they used was to die for, seemed very sugar forward which me personally I love. Pulled pork was a bit of a let down but still good, had a crockpot style texture or if it was actually smoked I assume it was wrapped with tin foil. Still had a good flavor but it was very soupy pork.

Ribs were hit or miss, I got the sampler and my mother got the full rack of ribs. Her ribs were great, that sweet spot of being right before fall off the bone and flavor was good. Mine were iffy, the flavor was good but they were a bit weak on the meat side and seemed overcooked.

We also got chips and dip with bean dip and a homemade salsa which was essentially just pico de gallo but was very fresh. Bean dip was pretty basic, still good though.

Overall I enjoyed the experience, staff was great and the food was very good regardless of my opinion. I really wish there was a smoked sausage on the menu or with the bbq sampler and I genuinely think every sampler needs to be served with some toast on the bottom. I was really missing those couple things during the meal. Price was...

Large joint, huddled back with limited signs pointed towards it. It's hidden in Chase, a small blink and you'll miss it community sporting a single gas station and a few other small businesses, quite a few literally out of people's houses. Chase Creek Smokehouse is the crown jewel though, it's large dirt parking lot and spacious interior i believe is meant to accommodate a large influx of motorsport enthusiasts taking the main ORV trail it sits on. From the main highway you'd to take chase the smokehouses view is obscured by a large hill and some run down shacks whereas the ORV trail runs directly to it and through it. Expect a somewhat washed down atmosphere more attuned to a generic sports bar much akin to brans only with less interesting things to look at and somewhat uncomfortable seating. It's a large floor plan but I think it would benefit from the introduction of booths and other methods to diminish the effect of being on display for the rest of the restaurant, with little to look at and no way to obstruct the view of yourself it lacks a level of intimacy one would enjoy while eating dinner with friend's or family. The food more than makes up for the moderate shortcomings of atmosphere and at the end of the day, or trail, that is it's biggest appeal. Large portions and delicious smoked meats. The best place for miles and miles to pick up a good BBQ. My fiance is especially privy to the brisket and Mac n cheese, and I always stuff myself with the bucket or the sampler. One thing I appreciate is that we both always have leftovers for tomorrow, a hard feat to achieve with my insatiable appetite for all things smoked. It does run a little on the pricier side so if you are heading there do not expect a great deal on your tasty treats but do expect exactly what you hath paid for and thou will surely find...